Institutional Publications
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Item A genome-wide association analysis identifies a key candidate gene controlling plant growth habit in chickpea(Springer Nature Publishing AG, 2026) Kumbhakar, Rajib; Mondal, Mayulika; Thakro, Virevol; Yadava, Yashwant K.; Jha, Uday Chand; Tripathi, Shailesh; Parida, Swarup K.Identification of molecular markers governing plant growth habit (PGH) traits that enable mechanical harvestability is pivotal for boosting production efficiency of crops under changing climates and increasing global food demand. With a combinatorial integrated genomics-assisted breeding strategy comprising of association mapping, haplotype-based association, molecular haplotyping and gene expression analysis in a 286 association panel of chickpea (Cicer arietinum), we dissected the genetic basis of PGH traits. This study employed 382,171 genome-wide SNPs (single-nucleotide polymorphisms) obtained from whole-genome sequencing (WGS) of 286 desi and kabuli chickpea accessions and delineated a major genomic locus associated with PGH traits variation, particularly between erect (E)/semi-erect (SE) versus spreading (S)/semi-spreading (SS) types. Within this genomic loci, CaPAR1 (Cicer arietinum PAR1) and its derived natural alleles/haplotypes was identified as the candidate gene. These findings can facilitate generation of high-yielding, erect/semi-erect, mechanically harvestable cultivars through translational genomics and molecular breeding for genetic enhancement of chickpea.Item Trans-QTL alliance of HKT1 and PHL7 modulate salinity stress tolerance and enhance crop yield endurance(John Wiley & Sons, 2026) Mohanty, Jitendra K.; Yadav, Antima; Narnoliya, Laxmi; Thakro, Virevol; Rathore, Deepanshi; Tripathi, Shailesh; Sinharoy, Senjuti; Agarwal, Pinky; Parida, Swarup K.Salinity stress can cause significant yield losses in crops because of its major impact on reproductive success. The complexity of salinity stress responses, particularly their tissue- and cell-specific regulation, continues to challenge the translation of molecular insights into tangible crop yield improvements. In the present study, the authors deployed a genomic strategy combining a genome-wide association study, regional association analysis, QTL mapping, fine mapping, and map-based cloning to delineate a pair of novel CaPHL7 and CaHKT1 alleles that regulate yield under salinity stress. The selected contrasting accessions, developed near-isogenic lines (NILs), overexpressed chickpea lines and complemented Arabidopsis lines collectively underscore the functional significance of the identified alleles in relaying yield endurance under salinity stress conditions. Functional characterisation of the genes revealed the intricate transcriptional regulation of CaHKT1 by CaPHL7, which influences the degree of salinity stress tolerance. Furthermore, in our efforts to enhance yield endurance, we discovered a novel regulatory role for the phosphorus (P) starvation-responsive gene (PHL7) in legumes, facilitating salinity stress adaptation. This study provides the first functional validation of a trans-QTL regulatory model in chickpea, where CaPHL7, located on one chromosome, transcriptionally activates CaHKT1 on a separate chromosome. The regulatory mechanism plays a key role in excluding sodium from the transpiration stream, thereby protecting reproductive processes from salinity-induced damage and mitigating yield penalties. This inter-locus regulation explains yield stability and offers useful insights that may be considered in future efforts to enhance salt resilience in chickpea.Item Shaping the future: Unravelling regulators modulating plant architecture for next-generation crops(Elsevier B.V., 2025) Kumbhakar, Rajib; Mondal, Mayulika; Thakro, Virevol; Tripathi, Shailesh; Parida, Swarup K.Plant architecture traits in crops are modulated through intricate interactions of various genetic pathways, which helps them to adapt to diverse environmental conditions. Key developmental pathways involved in forming plant architecture include the LAZY-TAC (Tiller Angle Control) module regulating branch and tiller angle, the CLAVATA-WUSCHEL pathway controlling shoot apical meristem fate and the GID1-DELLA pathway governing plant height and tillering in major food crops. These pathways function in concert to shape the overall architecture of plants, which is essential for optimizing light capture, resource allocation, reproductive success and eventual crop yield enhancement. Presently, plant architecture of modern crops has been shaped especially by artificial selection of natural alleles that target yield traits. Recent advances in CRISPR-Cas-based genome editing and genomics-assisted breeding strategies have enabled precise genetic manipulation of natural alleles in the functionally relevant genes regulating plant architecture traits in crops. This will assist researchers to select and introgress superior natural alleles in popular cultivars strategically for restructuring their desirable plant-types suitable for mechanical harvesting as well as enhancing the crop yield potential.Item A next-generation combinatorial genomic strategy scans genomic loci governing heat stress tolerance in chickpea(John Wiley & Sons, 2025) Mohanty, Jitendra K.; Yadav, Antima; Narnoliya, Laxmi; Thakro, Virevol; Nayyar, Harsh; Dixit, Girish P.; Jha, Uday Chand; Prasad, P. V. Vara; Agarwal, Pinky; Parida, Swarup K.In the wake of rising earth temperature, chickpea crop production is haunted by the productivity crisis. Chickpea, a cool season legume manifests tolerance in several agro-physiological level, which is complex quantitative in nature, and regulated by multiple genes and genetic networks. Understanding the molecular genetic basis of this tolerance and identifying key regulators can leverage chickpea breeding against heat stress. This study employed a genomics-assisted breeding strategy utilizing multi-locus GWAS to identify 10 key genomic regions linked to traits contributing to heat stress tolerance in chickpea. These loci subsequently delineated few key candidates and hub regulatory genes, such as RAD23b, CIPK25, AAE19, CK1 and WRKY40, through integrated genomics, transcriptomics and interactive analyses. The differential transcript accumulation of these identified candidates in contrasting chickpea accessions suggests their potential role in heat stress tolerance. Differential ROS accumulation along with their scavengers' transcript abundance aligning with the expression of identified candidates in the contrasting chickpea accessions persuade their regulatory significance. Additionally, their functional significance is ascertained by heterologous expression and subsequent heat stress screening. The high confidence genomic loci and the superior genes and natural alleles delineated here has great potential for swift genomic interventions to enhance heat resilience and yield stability in chickpea.Item Uncovering DNA methylation landscapes to decipher evolutionary footprints of phenotypic diversity in chickpea(Oxford University Press, 2024) Daware, Anurag; Mohanty, Jitendra K.; Narnoliya, Laxmi; Singh, Akansha; Rathore, Deepanshi; Thakro, Virevol; Francis, Aleena; Singh, Nagendra Pratap; Francis, Philip; Tripathi, Shailesh; Chattopadhyay, Debasis; Parida, Swarup K.Genetic diversity and environmental factors are long believed to be the dominant contributor to phenotypic diversity in crop plants. However, it has been recently established that, besides genetic variation, epigenetic variation, especially variation in DNA methylation, plays a significant role in determining phenotypic diversity in crop plants. Therefore, assessing DNA methylation diversity in crop plants becomes vital, especially in the case of crops like chickpea, which has a narrow genetic base. Thus, in the present study, we employed whole-genome bisulfite sequencing to assess DNA methylation diversity in wild and cultivated (desi and kabuli) chickpea. This revealed extensive DNA methylation diversity in both wild and cultivated chickpea. Interestingly, the methylation diversity was found to be significantly higher than genetic diversity, suggesting its potential role in providing vital phenotypic diversity for the evolution and domestication of the Cicer gene pool. The phylogeny based on DNA methylation variation also indicates a potential complementary role of DNA methylation variation in addition to DNA sequence variation in shaping chickpea evolution. Besides, the study also identified diverse epi-alleles of many previously known genes of agronomic importance. The Cicer MethVarMap database developed in this study enables researchers to readily visualize methylation variation within the genes and genomic regions of their interest (http://223.31.159.7/cicer/public/). Therefore, epigenetic variation like DNA methylation variation can potentially explain the paradox of high phenotypic diversity despite the narrow genetic base in chickpea and can potentially be employed for crop improvement.Item Delineation of genes for a major QTL governing heat stress tolerance in chickpea(Springer Nature Publishing AG, 2024) Mohanty, Jitendra K.; Thakro, Virevol; Yadav, Antima; Nayyar, Harsh; Dixit, Girish P.; Agarwal, Pinky; Parida, Swarup K.; Jha, Uday ChandChickpea (Cicer arietinum) is a cool season grain legume experiencing severe yield loss during heat stress due to the intensifying climate changes and its associated gradual increase of mean temperature. Hence, understanding the genetic architecture regulating heat stress tolerance has emerged as an important trait to be addressed for enhancing yield and productivity of chickpea under heat stress. The present study is intended to identify the major genomic region(s) governing heat stress tolerance in chickpea. For this, an integrated genomics-assisted breeding strategy involving NGS-based high-resolution QTL-seq assay, QTL region-specifc association analysis and molecular haplotyping was deployed in a population of 206 mapping individuals and a diversity panel of 217 germplasm accessions of chickpea. This combinatorial strategy delineated a major 156.8 kb QTL genomic region, which was subsequently narrowed-down to a functional candidate gene CaHSFA5 and its natural alleles associated strongly with heat stress tolerance in chickpea. Superior natural alleles and haplotypes delineated from the CaHSFA5 gene have functional signifcance in regulating heat stress tolerance in chickpea. Histochemical staining, interaction studies along with diferential expression profling of CaHSFA5 and ROS scavenging genes suggest a cross talk between CaHSFA5 with ROS homeostasis pertaining to heat stress tolerance in chickpea. Heterologous gene expression followed by heat stress screening further validated the functional signifcance of CaHSFA5 for heat stress tolerance. The salient outcomes obtained here can have potential to accelerate multiple translational genomic analysis including marker-assisted breeding and gene editing in order to develop high-yielding heat stress tolerant chickpea varieties.Item Functional allele of a MATE gene selected during domestication modulates seed color in chickpea(John Wiley & Sons, 2024) Thakro, Virevol; Varshney, Nidhi; Malik, Naveen; Daware, Anurag; Srivastava, Rishi; Mohanty, Jitendra K; Basu, Udita; Narnoliya, Laxmi; Jha, Uday Chand; Tripathi, Shailesh; Tyagi, Akhilesh K.; Parida, Swarup K.Seed color is one of the key target traits of domestication and artificial selection in chickpeas due to its implications on consumer preference and market value. The complex seed color trait has been well dissected in several crop species; however, the genetic mechanism underlying seed color variation in chickpea remains poorly understood. Here, we employed an integrated genomics strategy involving QTL mapping, high-density mapping, map-based cloning, association analysis, and molecular haplotyping in an inter-specific RIL mapping population, association panel, wild accessions, and introgression lines (ILs) of Cicer gene pool. This delineated a MATE gene, CaMATE23, encoding a Transparent Testa (TT) and its natural allele (8-bp insertion) and haplotype underlying a major QTL governing seed color on chickpea chromosome 4. Signatures of selective sweep and a strong purifying selection reflected that CaMATE23, especially its 8-bp insertion natural allelic variant, underwent selection during chickpea domestication. Functional investigations revealed that the 8-bp insertion containing the third cis-regulatory RY-motif element in the CaMATE23 promoter is critical for enhanced binding of CaFUSCA3 transcription factor, a key regulator of seed development and flavonoid biosynthesis, thereby affecting CaMATE23 expression and proanthocyanidin (PA) accumulation in the seed coat to impart varied seed color in chickpea. Consequently, overexpression of CaMATE23 in Arabidopsis tt12 mutant partially restored the seed color phenotype to brown pigmentation, ascertaining its functional role in PA accumulation in the seed coat. These findings shed new light on the seed color regulation and evolutionary history, and highlight the transcriptional regulation of CaMATE23 by CaFUSCA3 in modulating seed color in chickpea. The functionally relevant InDel variation, natural allele, and haplotype from CaMATE23 are vital for translational genomic research, including marker-assisted breeding, for developing chickpea cultivars with desirable seed color that appeal to consumers and meet global market demand.Item Natural alleles of Mediator subunit genes modulate plant height in chickpea(John Wiley & Sons, 2023) Malik, Naveen; Basu, Udita; Srivastava, Rishi; Daware, Anurag; Ranjan, Rajeev; Sharma, Akash; Thakro, Virevol; Mohanty, Jitendra K.; Jha, Uday Chand; Tripathi, Shailesh; Tyagi, Akhilesh K.; Parida, Swarup K.Plant height (PH) is an important plant architectural trait targeted during Green Revolution to enhance crop yields. Identification of genes and natural alleles governing plant height without compromising agronomic performance can fill the lacuna of knowledge connecting ideal plant architecture with maximum achievable yield in chickpea. Through coherent strategy involving genome-wide association study, QTL/fine mapping, map-based cloning, molecular haplotyping, and downstream functional genomics, the current study identified two Mediator subunit genes namely, CaMED23 and CaMED5b and their derived natural alleles/haplotypes underlying the major QTLs and trans-acting eQTLs regulating plant height in chickpea. Differential accumulation of haplotype-specific transcripts of these two Mediator genes in corresponding haplotype-introgressed near-isogenic lines (NILs) correlates negatively with the plant height trait. Quantitative as well as qualitative estimation based on histology, scanning electron microscopy, and histochemical assay unraveled the reduced lengths and cell sizes of internodes along with compromised lignin levels in dwarf/semi-dwarf chickpea NILs introgressed with superior CaMED23 and CaMED5b gene haplotypes. This observation, supported by global transcriptome profiling-based diminished expression of various phenylpropanoid pathway genes upstream of lignin biosynthesis in dwarf/semi-dwarf NILs, essentially links plant height with lignin accumulation. The identified molecular signatures in the Mediator subunit genes can be efficiently utilized to develop desirable dwarf/semi-dwarf-type chickpea cultivars without affecting their yield per plant via modulating lignin/phenylpropanoid biosynthesis.Item A superior gene allele involved in abscisic acid signaling enhances drought tolerance and yield in chickpea(Oxford University Press, 2023) Thakro, Virevol; Malik, Naveen; Basu, Udita; Srivastava, Rishi; Narnoliya, Laxmi; Daware, Anurag; Varshney, Nidhi; Mohanty, Jitendra K; Bajaj, Deepak; Dwivedi, Vikas; Tripathi, Shailesh; Jha, Uday Chand; Dixit, Girish Prasad; Singh, Ashok K; Tyagi, Akhilesh K.; Upadhyaya, Hari D; Parida, Swarup K.Identifying potential molecular tags for drought tolerance is essential for achieving higher crop productivity under drought stress. We employed an integrated genomics-assisted breeding and functional genomics strategy involving association mapping, fine mapping, map-based cloning, molecular haplotyping and transcript profiling in the introgression lines (ILs)- and near isogenic lines (NILs)-based association panel and mapping population of chickpea (Cicer arietinum). This combinatorial approach delineated a bHLH (basic helix-loop-helix) transcription factor, CabHLH10 (Cicer arietinum bHLH10) underlying a major QTL, along with its derived natural alleles/haplotypes governing yield traits under drought stress in chickpea. CabHLH10 binds to a cis-regulatory G-box promoter element to modulate the expression of RD22 (responsive to desiccation 22), a drought/ABA-responsive gene (via a trans-expression QTL), and two strong yield-enhancement photosynthetic efficiency (PE) genes. This, in turn, upregulates other downstream drought-responsive and abscisic acid signaling genes, as well as yield-enhancing PE genes, thus increasing plant adaptation to drought with reduced yield penalty. We showed that a superior allele of CabHLH10 introgressed into the NILs improved root and shoot biomass and PE, thereby enhancing yield and productivity during drought without compromising agronomic performance. Furthermore, overexpression of CabHLH10 in chickpea and Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) conferred enhanced drought tolerance by improving root and shoot agro-morphological traits. These findings facilitate translational genomics for crop improvement and the development of genetically-tailored, climate-resilient, high-yielding chickpea cultivars.Item Association mapping of genomic loci linked with Fusarium wilt resistance (Foc 2) in chickpea(Cambridge University Press, 2021) Jha, Uday Chand; Jha, Rintu; Bohra, Abhishek; Manjunatha, Lakshmaiah; Saabale, Parasappa Rajappa; Parida, Swarup K.; Chaturvedi, Sushil Kumar; Thakro, Virevol; Singh, Narendra PratapImproving plant resistance against Fusarium wilt (FW) is key to sustaining chickpea production worldwide. Given this, the current study tested a set of 75 FW-responsive chickpea breeding lines including checks in a wilt-sick plot for two consecutive years (2016 and 2017). Genetic diversity analysis using 75 simple sequence repeats (SSRs) revealed a total of 267 alleles with an average of 3.56 alleles per marker. The entire set was divided into two major classes based on clustering method and factorial analysis. Similarly, STRUCTURE analysis placed the 75 genotypes into three distinct sub-groups (K = 3). Marker-trait association (MTA) analysis using the generalized linear model approach revealed nine and eight significant MTAs for FW resistance in the years 2016 and 2017, respectively. Three significant MTAs were obtained for FW resistance following the mixed linear model approach for both years. The SSR markers CESSR433, NCPGR21 and ICCM0284 could be potentially employed for targeted and accelerated improvement of FW resistance in chickpea. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on association mapping of the genomic loci controlling FW (Foc2) resistance in chickpea.